Are we touching the World today? Reach out...it's there, right next to you.
Thank you friend for Psalm 119:114 today, "You’re my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me." You have been the hands and feet of Jesus to me this week. Don't take it lightly, continue, you have a gift of ministry and a world of people ready to receive hope. You are a light my dear friend. You don't often see it that way, but God wants you to know. Because of your encouragement I am moved to write today. So I will share my heart.
I am astounded at how many have read my post titled "Reach Out and Touch the World," and the reads just keep climbing! I think it is easy to forget the the WORLD is right next to us. The WORLD is your child, your friend, your co-worker, your neighbor, the person in line at Walmart, the waitress/waiter at your next meal out, the person at church you've never met...
It doesn't have to be about going far away. Sometimes the people closest to you need to be touched the most. Have you ever noticed how surprised strangers are when you actually pause and look into their eyes? There are hungry eyes every where. And sometimes we are fooled by the beautiful package that they are in. Sometimes the beautiful packages need the glorious comfort of the gospel more than we can imagine.
I lived with the lie that the "pretty people," (you can define that in a million ways, not just looks) don't even want to talk to me, so for many years I just let myself be
Invisible. To. Most. People.
I let the lie, the belief that I'm ugly, weak, nervous, dumb, keep me from doing what we are all called to do. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." Well, since I didn't like myself very much, I didn't think God did either, and therefore I didn't love my neighbor well. It's a cycle that God has stopped in me, for the most part!
And then came Psalm 40, new song! A new cycle! A healing of my soul. And like David, I had to share! Knowing God loves me, loving myself for who He is in me, and letting that love overflow to others. How do we begin? Well, I'm always talking about the Scripture being full of living power, Hebrews 4:12, so let's start there.
Do you believe you are loved by God? I love that song by David Crowder, How He Loves Us. Sometimes I let myself believe the lie that it is selfish to dwell on His love for me. But when we stop and realize that Exodus 34:14 says, "You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you." Meaning He is jealous of all the things that steal us away from HIM. It's a good jealous!
He draws us into His grace and mercy. He came from Heaven into our pain to take on our pain and sin. And though pain may last for now, our eternity is stamped by the love of God in His death and resurrection for those who believe!
Do you need hope today? We all do. Maybe we can take a few minutes to get these things in perspective so that we can give HOPE to a world in despair. Reach out and touch the world. Don't let fear hold you back. Love like only God can love for "perfect love casts out fear, " 1 John 4:18.
Here is a parable about holding back:
““The next servant said, ‘Master, here’s your money safe and sound. I kept it hidden in the cellar. To tell you the truth, I was a little afraid. I know you have high standards and hate sloppiness, and don’t suffer fools gladly.’
Everyone needs hope today. Ask God to lay just one soul on your heart today. Pray and receive the love of the gospel and then step out in faith and love the WORLD. If we each love a needy soul, the Kingdom of God will be moved in the strength of His love.
This weekend we will have a missions conference at Grace. I am excited over the top! This is a time when the Body of Christ comes from all parts of the World and we can actually immerse ourselves in prayer and new knowledge of the WORLD in need of hope. But remember, it's right outside our door. Our daughter is in Honduras, our niece another far away place, our son soon to be on campus, we are a living network of life and hope!
Mark 16:15-16 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; ..."
Touching the WORLD brings blessing. It's not a formula, it's just the way of God. I must say, I am thankful for those who have reached out and touched me in my despair. Thank you God for moving your people to love.
Acts 17:26-28 "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’"
Don't rely on yourself, rely on God to fill you and send you, either next door or across the ocean. Listen to Him, God says, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27
If I relied on "me," I would probably never go anywhere or talk to anyone, because of the lies that try to force their way in. But in God's strength there is an unimaginable thrill to be His vessel of love. I don't get it right all the time. If you know me, you know! I still have panic attacks at times, I get nervous over my kids, I freak out if I fear I might do my job wrong, I panic sometimes that I may be rejected. But I don't camp there. I daily start over. I don't write because I have it all together. I write because I have "tasted and seen."
I've had people reach out and touch me this week, in unexpected ways. Thank you Lord for their boldness and love! Help me to always lean forward into loving others and praying for others, and speaking up about who You are and the gift you bring - eternal HOPE.
Psalm 34:4-10
"I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."
David Crowder, How He Loves Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzfPHnoT0-0
Audrey Assad, For Love of You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klWYM-Udhg
Audrey Assad, I Shall Not Want
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Td9cZajyE
“He said, ‘You’re right that I don’t suffer fools gladly—and you’ve acted the fool! Why didn’t you at least invest the money in securities so I would have gotten a little interest on it?’
“Then he said to those standing there, ‘Take the money from him and give it to the servant who doubled my stake.’ “They said, ‘But Master, he already has double . . .’ “He said, ‘That’s what I mean: Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag.” Luke 19:20-26 Let us not hold back in fear, but go and share! Multiply!!
Everyone needs hope today. Ask God to lay just one soul on your heart today. Pray and receive the love of the gospel and then step out in faith and love the WORLD. If we each love a needy soul, the Kingdom of God will be moved in the strength of His love.
This weekend we will have a missions conference at Grace. I am excited over the top! This is a time when the Body of Christ comes from all parts of the World and we can actually immerse ourselves in prayer and new knowledge of the WORLD in need of hope. But remember, it's right outside our door. Our daughter is in Honduras, our niece another far away place, our son soon to be on campus, we are a living network of life and hope!
Reach. Out. And. Touch. The. World.
Mark 16:15-16 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; ..."
Touching the WORLD brings blessing. It's not a formula, it's just the way of God. I must say, I am thankful for those who have reached out and touched me in my despair. Thank you God for moving your people to love.
Acts 17:26-28 "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’"
Don't rely on yourself, rely on God to fill you and send you, either next door or across the ocean. Listen to Him, God says, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27
If I relied on "me," I would probably never go anywhere or talk to anyone, because of the lies that try to force their way in. But in God's strength there is an unimaginable thrill to be His vessel of love. I don't get it right all the time. If you know me, you know! I still have panic attacks at times, I get nervous over my kids, I freak out if I fear I might do my job wrong, I panic sometimes that I may be rejected. But I don't camp there. I daily start over. I don't write because I have it all together. I write because I have "tasted and seen."
I've had people reach out and touch me this week, in unexpected ways. Thank you Lord for their boldness and love! Help me to always lean forward into loving others and praying for others, and speaking up about who You are and the gift you bring - eternal HOPE.
Psalm 34:4-10
"I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."
David Crowder, How He Loves Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzfPHnoT0-0
Audrey Assad, For Love of You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klWYM-Udhg
Audrey Assad, I Shall Not Want
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Td9cZajyE
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